It is right at the very beginning - the Doctor, his granddaughter Susan, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed it right at the beginning. And reading it rather than watching it, my imagination is working overtime!

It is narrated by Ian, and the name Dr Who is on page 49:

I saw Susan and the Doctor step out of the Ship and Barbara and I followed slowly.

'Do you know', I said, 'that we don't even know what the Doctor's name is?'

'He doesn't respond to personal questions very well.'

'Maybe not, but I have two I'm determined to ask him when I get him in the right mood - What does he do and who is he?'

There was a short silence. I said, 'Perhaps that's what we ought to call him - "Dr Who?".'

It is right at the very beginning - the Doctor, his granddaughter Susan, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed it right at the beginning. And reading it rather than watching it, my imagination is working overtime!

It is narrated by Ian, and the name Dr Who is on page 49:

I saw Susan and the Doctor step out of the Ship and Barbara and I followed slowly.

'Do you know', I said, 'that we don't even know what the Doctor's name is?'

'He doesn't respond to personal questions very well.'

'Maybe not, but I have two I'm determined to ask him when I get him in the right mood - What does he do and who is he?'

There was a short silence. I said, 'Perhaps that's what we ought to call him - "Dr Who?".'

It's a wonderful book. One of my favourites and one of the first I ever read.

I love all the Barnes Common stuff at the beginning in particular, very atmospheric and it really draws you in. Also benefits from placing you in Ian's shoes.

I read this long before I had ever read/seen An Unearthly Child so this was my start for a while.

This book is surprisingly available for the Kindle in the US so I shall endeavour to find a slot for it soon. Or, knowing me, I'll read about half of it then drift off into something else before returning in a year or two to read the first half again.

I can't recall after all these years if in the early 70's this was my first introduction to Doctor Who or whether it was the show itself, but I remember reading and rereading it,along with the novelisations of the Crusaders and the Web Planet (as Doctor Who and the Zarbi), from my local library. And very good they were too. Makes me feel quite nostalgic just thinking about them

This was the among the first Target novelisations I read. It made a big impression on me, sitting cross legged on the floor.

Everlasting matches!

I know now that it wasn't originally a Target novel. It predated all that. I knew that the Doctor hadn't always been Tom Baker too. Because I had first seen him.as Jon Pertwee. But then he changed. So it was ok that the Doctor was very different in the book. My mum explained what the Doctor was like before I was born.

I had the origional paperback, the one with the picture of the first Doctor standing outside the Tardis with his red lined cape billowing. At the time I used to mark all the inside covers of my books with my initials. A.M. Over the years, as I grew up and moved out, my mum through out a lot of my old books etc, including all my Dr Who novels !!!!. many years later when I was married I happended to be in a charity shop in the town where I lived and saw a copy of this book for sale. Imagine my surprise when I looked inside and saw my Initials ! Needless to say I bought it and it now has pride and joy amongst my Dr Who collection. Its still a smashing read and gives a different perspective on the early days of Dr Who.

This was the among the first Target novelisations I read. It made a big impression on me, sitting cross legged on the floor.

Everlasting matches!

I know now that it wasn't originally a Target novel. It predated all that. I knew that the Doctor hadn't always been Tom Baker too. Because I had first seen him.as Jon Pertwee. But then he changed. So it was ok that the Doctor was very different in the book. My mum explained what the Doctor was like before I was born.

I had the origional paperback, the one with the picture of the first Doctor standing outside the Tardis with his red lined cape billowing. At the time I used to mark all the inside covers of my books with my initials. A.M. Over the years, as I grew up and moved out, my mum through out a lot of my old books etc, including all my Dr Who novels !!!!. many years later when I was married I happended to be in a charity shop in the town where I lived and saw a copy of this book for sale. Imagine my surprise when I looked inside and saw my Initials ! Needless to say I bought it and it now has pride and joy amongst my Dr Who collection. Its still a smashing read and gives a different perspective on the early days of Dr Who.

When I saw the title of the thread I thought finally someone was mentioned the Dalek book I got as a boy (am sure it was out of M&S!) Must dig it out the attic and have a look. But then... the attic was always a scary place Mr Moffat...

When I saw the title of the thread I thought finally someone was mentioned the Dalek book I got as a boy (am sure it was out of M&S!) Must dig it out the attic and have a look. But then... the attic was always a scary place Mr Moffat...